Window cleaning apparatus



Aug. 14, 1962 Filed April 20, 1961 L. PRESSER WINDOW CLEANING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ.

INVENTOR.

LEISER PR ESSER ATTORNEY Aug. 14, 1962 PRESSER 3,048,871

WINDOW CLEANING APPARATUS ATTORNEY Aug. 14, 1962 1.. PRESSER 3,

WINDOW CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 20, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet s H *f. I

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INVENTOR.

LEISER PRESSER.

ATTORNEY Aug. 14, 1962 WINDOW CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 20, 1961.

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of its uppermost position.

United States Patent 3,048,871 WINDOW CLEANING APPARATUS Leiser Presser, 1367 46th St, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Apr. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 104,408 8 Claims. (Cl. 15-45019) This invention relates to window cleaning devices, and is particularly directed to apparatus of this category permanently attached to window structures.

It is an object of my invention to provide window cleaning means permanently attached to a window and adapted for operative use without the employment of motors, solenoids, hydraulically or pneumatically operated mechanisms, cranks and the like. And in this aspect of my invention it is my objective to enable the cleaning operation to take place merely upon the opening and closing of the window in conventional manner.

It is another object of my invention to enable the opposite glass surfaces of both the inner and outer sections of double-hung or analogous windows to be operatively cleaned by single opening and closing manipulations.

A further object of this invention is to enable single opening and closing window manipulations to effect an operative wiping of the entire exposed areas of the window panes. And in this aspect of my invention it is another object thereof to provide means for effectively dislodging dirt or grime accumulated upon and adhering to the upper portion of a window pane as a result of the upward operative movement of the wiper element.

Still another object of this invention is to provide easily manipulable means for adjusting the pressure of the wiper element upon a window pane, and for retracting such element out of engagement with the pane.

And it is my objective to provide a simple and readily applied apparatus having the features above mentioned.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front inside elevational view of a window structure embodying my invention, the upper window being shown in a slightly lowered position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of FIG. 1 taken substantially along line 22 thereof, but with both window sections shown in their fully closed positions, the inner window section being shown in dot-dash lines near the top of its uppermost position, the outer window section being shown in dot-dash lines at its lowerrnost position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section of the upper portion of the structure of FIG. 2, showing the wiping member of the inner window section in an operatively retracted position when said inner window section is just short FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section like FIG. 3, but showing the inner window section at its extreme uppermost position and the wiping member in its projected operative position.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section like FIG. 4, but showing the inner window member at the beginning of its operative downward movement.

FIG. '6 is a section of FIG. 2 taken along line 6-6 thereof.

FIG. 7 is a section of FIG. 6 taken along line 7--7.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section of FIG. 1 taken along line 8-8 thereof.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 8 taken along line 9-9 thereof.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 2 taken along line 10-10 thereof.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 6 taken along 3,4,87l Patented Aug. 14, 1962 line 11--11 thereof, but showing the wiper member in an operatively retracted position.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated, the inner window section 15 and the outer window section 16 are operatively slidable along the lateral sides 17 and 18 of the stationary window framework 19 in conventional manner, said inner window section 15 being normally closed when in its lowermost position and said outer window section 16 being normally closed when in its uppermost position as illustrated in FIG. 2. Each of said window sections is of conventional construction comprising a peripheral frame or sash supporting a pane of glass. Specifically, said inner window section 15 comprises the respective upper and lower sash members 20 and 21 and the lateral sash members 22 and 23, said sash members supporting the pane of :glass 24; and said outer window section 16 comprises the respective upper and lower sash members 25 and 26 and the lateral sash members 2 7 and 28, said four last-mentioned sash members supporting the pane of glass 25!. The junctures of said panes and their coactive sash members define the peripheral limits and exposed areas of the panes, the wiper members being so arranged, as will more clearly hereinafter appear, that they will operatively engage the full extent of said exposed areas. In the construction shovm, the outside juncture portions of the inner window section 15 comprise the puttied portions 30 31, 32 and 33, and the outside juncture portions of the outer window section 16 comprise the puttied portions 34, 35, 36 and 37. The inside juncture portions of the inner window section 15 comprise the frame portions 38, 39, 40 and 41; and the inside juncture portion of the outer window section comprises the frame portions 42, 43, 44 and 45.

Fixedly attached to inside portions of said lateral sides 17 and 18 of said window framework 19 are the two inner stationary wiping members, generally designated 46, supporting therebetween the wiper element 47 extending horizontally and transversely across pane 24, each of said members 46 being so positioned that when the said inner Window section 15 is in its lowermost position, said wiper element 47 is in engagement with the upper junc ture 48 of the pane 24 and the upper frame portion 38 of such member 20. Fixedly attached to the outside portions of said lateral sides 17 and 18 of the framework 19 are the two outer stationary wiping members, generally designated 49, supporting therebetween the wiper element 50 extending horizontally and transversely across pane 29, said wiping members 46 being so positioned that when said outer window section 16 is in its uppermost position said wiper element 50 is in engagement with the lower juncture 51 of said puttied portion 35 and the pane 29.

Fixedly mounted upon the top of said upper sash member 20 are the two inner movable wiping members, generally designated 52, supporting therebetween the wiper element 53, the latter extending horizontally and transversely across the upper pane 29, said wiper element 53 being in engagement with the lower juncture 54 of said pane 29 and the lower frame portion 43 of the sash member 26 when said window sections 15 and 16 are in their operatively closed positions as illustrated in FIG. 2. And fixedly secured to the underside of said lower sash member 26 are the two outer movable wiping members, generally designated 55, supporting therebetween the wiper element 56, the latter extending horizontally and transversely across the lower pane 24, said wiper element 56 being in engagement with the upper juncture 57 of said pane 24 and the upper puttied portion 34) of the sash member 20 when said window sections 15 and 16 are in their operatively closed positions.

The arrangement and proportions of the components are such, as will more clearly appear from the description hereinafter given, that when the said inner window section 15 is operatively raised from its lowermost to its uppermost position, the said inner stationary wiper element 47 will slidably engage and operatively clean the entire inner surface 58 of pane 24 from the said juncture 48 down to the juncture 59 of said pane and the lower frame portion 39; and at the same time the movable inner wiper element 53 will slidably engage and operatively clean the entire inner surface 60 of the upper pane 29 from said lower juncture 54 to the region of the juncture 61 of said pane 29 and the upper frame portion 42. During the aforesaid upward movement of said inner window section 15, the said outer wiper element 56 will slidably engage and operatively clean the entire outer surface 62 of the lower pane 24 down from the said upper juncture 57 to the lower juncture 63 of said pane 24 and said puttied portion 31. Similarly, when said outer window section 16 is operatively lowered from its uppermost to its lowermost position, the said outer stationary Wiper element 50 will slidably engage and operatively clean the entire outer surface 64 of pane 29 from said juncture 51 up to the juncture 65 of said puttied portion 34 and said pane 29; and at the same time the movable outer wiper element 56 will slidably engage and operatively clean the the entire outer surface 62 of the lower pane 24 between said junctures 57 and 63. And during the said lowering of window section 16, the inner movable wiper element 53 will slidably engage and operatively clean the entire inner surface 60 of the upper pane 29 between said junctures 54 and 61.

Each of said wiping members 52 comprises a casing 66 (see FIGS. 2, 8 and 9) integral with and supported by the flanged base 67 attached by fasteners 68 to the top of sash member 20, the inner end 69 of said casing being cylindrical and having slidably and rotatably mounted thereover the cap 70. Integral with said cap is the inner axial hollow boss 71 in threaded engagement with the threaded shank 72 of the supporting plunger 73, the latter being slidably movable within said casing 66 against the action of spring 74 which is in abutting engagement with the opposing walls 75 and 76 of said casing and plunger, respectively. Extending vertically through and supported by said plunger is the rod 77, the latter also extending through the respective upper and lower slotted portions 78 and 79 of the outer end of said casing 66. The said rod 77 is fixedly connected to the upper bifurcated bracket 80 pivotally supporting at 81 the cam or link 82--the function of which will be described hereinbelow. The said plunger 73 has its outer bifurcated portion 83 supporting the split clamp 84 operatively gripping the conventional wiper element 53, the releasable fasteners 85 permitting the ready replacement of said wiper element in known manner. Under the action of said spring 74, said wiper element 53 will be maintained in yieldable pressing engagement with the window pane 29. In the preferred construction illustrated, the said clamp 84 is pivotally connected to said plunger 73 by the vertical pin 86, the innermost portion of said clamp having the *convexly curved surface 87. The arrangement is such as to permit a slight adjusting positioning of both of the clamps 84 of the two laterally opposite members 52 both of which support the said wiper element 53. It will be noted that said clamp 84 is bent downwardly, so that the window-contacting portion of the wiper element 53 will be at the desired lower juncture 54 when both window sections are closed.

When the said inner window section 15 is raised, the wiper element 53 will, in the manner aforesaid, clean the surface 60 of pane 29. Near the upper limiting position of said window section 15, as illustrated by the dot-dash lines of FIG. 2, there may be an accumulation of dirt 88 resting on top of the blade 89 of the wiper element 53 and possibly clinging to the adjacent portion of the pane 29. Any such accumulation of dirt on the window is removed by the novel action of my invention, the arrangement being such that the wiper element 53 is retracted as it is approaching its upper position, and is suddenly released when it has reached its uppermost position for re-engagement with the pane at a position above the said accumulation. The action is accomplished by the coactive engage ment of said link 82 of each of said wiping members 52 and the respective rollers or actuators 90 supported by brackets 91 secured to the upper sash member 25 of the outer window section 16.

It will be noted that the bottom Wall 92 of said link 82 is flat and is normally in resting engagement With the base 93 of said bifurcated bracket 80, the outer wall 94 of said link being inclined upwardly and inwardly, leaving a projecting portion 95. When the window section 15 has reached the dot-dash position shown in FIG. 2, said projecting portion 95 of each of said links 82 is disposed below the coacting roller 90. But when it reaches the position shown in FIG. 3, the said projecting portion 95 is engaged by the roller 90 to force the said link 82 inwardly, thereby causing said plunger 73, its shank 72 and the cap 70 to correspondingly move inwardly. At this point, the said wiper blade 89 will have retracted to the position shown in FIG. 3, out of engagement with the window, until the window section 15 is brought to its uppermost position illustrated in FIG. 4. In this position the said link 82 will have passed over said roller 90 whereby, under the action of spring 74, the plunger 73 will be urged outwardly, carrying the wiper element 53 into engagement with the pane 29 at a portion thereof above the accumulation of dirt 88. Upon the operative downward movement of the window section 15, the link 82 will clear the roller 90 when it is pivotally actuated about the pin 81 upon the engagement of the said undersurface 92 with said roller, as indicated in FIG. 5. The continued downward movement of the window section 15 will be effective in clearing away said accumulation 88.

Each of the movable wiping members 55 is attached by fasteners 96 to the underside of said sash member 26 of the outer window section 26, said wiping members each having a casing 97 supporting a clamp 98 carrying the said wiper element 56.

The said stationary inner wiping members 46 are attached to the sides 17 and 18 of the window framework by fasteners 99, each of said wiping members having an arm 100 connected to a casing 101 supponting a clamp 102 which carries the said wiper element 47. And each of the said stationary outer wiping members 49 is attached to said sides 17 and 18 by fasteners 103, each of said latter wiping members having an arm 104 connected to a casing 105 supporting a clamp 106 which carries the said wiper element 50.

The said casings 97, 101 and 105 are of similar construction, each being, in the preferred forms illustrated, of cylindrical configuration and having at one end a cap 107 (see FIGS. 6 and 11) in slidable and rotatable engagement therewith, said cap having on the interior thereof an integral hollow axially disposed boss 108 in threaded engagement vw'th the shank 109 of the plunger 110. Said plunger has an inside portion thereof in slidable engagement with the interior of the casing, and an outside bifurcated portion 111 containing the vertical pin 112 pivotally supporting a split clamp operatively holding the coacting wiper elementas exemplified in FIG. 11 by the split clamp 102 holding the wiper element 47, and in FIG. 2 by the split clamp 98 holding the coacting wiper element 98. Within the casing is a spring 113 in abutting engagement with said plunger and the wall 114 at the cap end of the casing, whereby the said spring will exert a yieldable pressure upon the plunger 110 and the supported wiper element towards the adjacent pane.

To retract the plunger 111 so that the wiper element carried thereby is. out of engagement with the adjacent pane, the cap 107 is rotated clockwise, whereby the boss 108 will move forwardly (towards the pane), since the shank 109 is held against rotation by virture of the engagement of the clamp, such as 102, with the horizontally maintained wiper element 47. The continued rotation of said cap 107 aiter the latter reaches and comes into engagement with the shoulder 115 will obviously cause the plunger 110 and the wiper element carried thereby to retract (see FIG. 11), inasmuch as the casing is stationary. By suitable manipulations of said cap 197 the pressure of the flexible wiping blade upon the pane can also be regulated.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any form or manner of practicing same, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a window cleaning apparatus for operative use with a window structure comprising a framework and inner and outer window sections slidably movable vertically relative to the sides of said framework, said sections each having peripheral sash members supporting a pane of glass, the combination of a retractible wiping member having a wiper element positioned for slidable engagement with the pane of one of said window sections between its upper and lower regions, means for bringing said last-mentioned pane and wiper element into slidable engagement, means engageable with said wiping member at a predetermined position thereof in the upper region of said last-mentioned window section for retracting said wiping member to a position out of engagement with said pane, and releasing means at another position of said wiping member relative to said lastmentioned window section in said upper region thereof for returning said wiping member to a position in engagement with said pane.

2. In a window cleaning apparatus for opertive use with a window structure comprising a framework and inner and outer window sections slidably movable vertically relative to the sides of said framework, said sections each having peripheral sash members supporting a pane of glass, the combination of a retractible wiping member having a wiper element positioned for slidable engagement with the pane of one of said window sections between its upper and lower regions, means for bringing said last-mentioned pane and wiper element into slidable engagement, said wiping member having a spring-loaded plunger carrying said wiper element, a cam member carried by said plunger, an actuator member engageable with said cam member at a predetermined position thereof in the upper region of said last-mentioned window section for retracting said plunger to a position where said wiper element is out of engagement with said pane, and releasing means at another relative position of said cam member relative to said last-mentioned window section in said upper region thereof for returning said plunger to a position where said wiper element is in engagement with said pane.

3. In a window cleaning apparatus for operative use with a window structure comprising a framework and inner and outer window sections slidably movable vertically relative to the sides of said framework between upper and lower limiting positions, said sections each having peripheral sash members supporting a pane of glass, the combination of a wiper member fixedly attached to a sash member of one of said window sections, said wiper member having a spring-loaded retractible plunger, a wiper element carried thereby and positioned for slidable engagement with the pane of the other of said window sections between its upper and lower regions, a cam member carried by said plunger, an actuator mounted on a sash member of said last-mentioned window section and positioned for operative engagement with said cam member at a predetermined relative position of said window section's, said actuator and cam member being so proportioned and positioned that upon their said operative engagement said plunger will be retracted to a position where said wiper element is out of engagement with said pane in its said upper region, and means to disengage said actuator and cam member at another relative position of said window sect-ions when said wiper element is still in said upper region of said pane, whereby said plunger will (be released from its said retracted position to its position at which said wiper element is in engagement with said pane.

4. In a window cleaning apparatus for operative use with a window structure comprising a framework and inner and outer window sections slidably movable vertically relative to the sides of said framework, said sections each having peripheral sash members supporting a pane of glass, the combination of a wiper member fixedly attached to a sash member of one of said window sections, said wiper member having a spring-loaded retractible plunger, a wiper element carried thereby and positioned for slidalble engagement with the pane of the other of said window sections, a cam member carried by said plunger, an actuator mounted on a sash member of said last-mentioned window section and poi-tioned for operative engagement with said cam member at a predetermined relative position of said window sections, said actuator and cam member being so proportioned and positioned that upon their said operative engagement said plunger will be retracted to a position where said wiper element is out of engagement with said pane, and means to disengage said actuator and cam member at another relative position of said window sections, whereby said plunger will be released from its said retracted position to its position at which said wiper element is in engagement with said pane, said actuator member being positioned at a level where it will operatively engage said cam member at a point intermediate the operative limiting positions of the said window section carrying said wiper member.

5. In a window cleaning apparatus for operative use with a window structure comprising a framework and inner and outer widow sections slidably movable vertically relative to the sides of said framework, said sections each having peripheral sash memibers supporting a pane of glass, the combination of a wiper member fixedly attached to "a sash member of one of said window sections, said wiper member having a spring-loaded retractible plunger, a wiper element carried thereby and positioned for slidable engagement with the pane of the other of said window sections, a cam member carried by said plunger, an actuator mounted on a sash member of said last-mentioned window section and positioned for operative engagement with said cam member at a predetermined relative position of said window sections, said actuator and cam member being so proportioned and positioned that upon their said operative engagement said plunger will be retracted to a position where said wiper element is out of engagement with said pane, and means to disengage said actuator and cam member at another relative position of said window sections, whereby said plunger will be released from its said retracted position to its position at which said wiper element is in engagement with said pane, said cam member comprising a pivotally mounted link, said actuator comprising a roller, means to hold said link against pivotal movement at said first mentioned relative position of said window sections, said link being pivotally movable at the last-mentioned of said relative positions.

6. In a window cleaning apparatus for operative use with a window structure comprising a framework and inner and outer window sections slidably movable vertically relative to the sides of said framework, said sections each having peripheral sash members supporting a pane of glass, the combination of a wiper member fixedly attached to a sash member of one of said window sections, said wiper member having a spring-loaded retractible plunger, a wiper element carried thereby and positioned for slidable engagement with the pane of the other of said window sections, a cam member carried by said plunger,

7 an actuator mounted on a sash memlber of said last-mentioned window section and positioned for operative engagement with said cam member at a predetermined relative position of said window sections, said actuator and cam member being so proportioned and positioned that upon their said operative engagement said plunger will be retracted to a position Where said Wiper element is out of engagement with said pane, and means to disengage said actuator and cam member at another relative position of said window sections, whereby said plunger will be released from its said retracted position to its position at which said wiper element is in engagement with said pane, said Wiper member having a casing, said plunger being slidab ly movable in said casing, spring means within said casing urging said plunger in the direction of said 1 pane, a rod carried by said plunger and supporting said cam, the rear portion of said casing being cylindrical, a cap slidably and rotatably mounted over said rear portion, said cap having an internally threaded hollow axial boss therein, said plunger having a threaded shank extending into and in threaded engagement with said boss, and stop means to hold said cap from relative longitudinal movement relative to said casing.

7. In a window cleaning apparatus, the combination according to claim 3, said wiper element being prop-ortioned and positioned for engagement with the juncture portion of the pane of said other window section and the adjacent sash member when said last-mentioned Window section is in the region of its said upper limiting position.

8. In a window cleaning apparatus, the combination according to claim 3, and a clamp member pivotally supported by said plunger for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, said clamp member operatively supporting said Wiper element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,120,094 Shipley Dec. 8, 1914 1,349,118 Conti Aug. 10, 1920 2,569,635 Holmes Oct. 2, 1951 2,944,276 Presser July 12, 1960 

